THE DAVAO City Water District (DCWD) is willing to supply the needs of the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS), although officials clarified that no formal talks have been initiated despite the ongoing construction of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector.
Speaking at the Davao Peace and Security press briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday, DCWD spokesperson Jovana Cresta Duhaylungsod addressed long-standing questions about whether the utility provider would utilize the multi-billion-peso bridge to solve Samal’s water woes.
Duhaylungsod revealed that while the idea of attaching a water pipeline to the bridge was proposed years ago, it was ultimately not included in the current structural plans.
“There was an opportunity presented to us way before to consider the pipeline during the bridge construction,” Duhaylungsod said. “However, we cannot simply install a pipe without considering the load. There are engineering factors that need to be addressed, and unfortunately, we don’t know why it was not incorporated into the final design.”
Despite the omission in the bridge plans, she noted that modern engineering technology makes it “highly possible” to transport surface water to the island through alternative means, provided the proper agreements are in place.
While DCWD remains a potential provider, Duhaylungsod observed that IGACOS appears to be moving toward self-sufficiency. According to DCWD monitoring, the Samal City Council has reportedly approved a budget for a P100-million water development project.
“In fairness, until now, there is no formal request from either the IGACOS Water District or their Local Government Unit (LGU) for Davao City to consider an expansion,” she clarified.
The spokesperson said supplying water to Samal Island boils down to engineering and legalities.
“The question of whether it is possible? Yes,” Duhaylungsod added. “It would just require the necessary engineering components and a formal agreement between DCWD and whoever represents the water district there or the LGU.”
